Copperheads : the rise and fall of Lincoln's opponents in the North

"If Civil War battlefields saw vast carnage, the Northern home front was itself far from tranquil. Fierce political debates set communities on edge, spurred secret plots against the Union, and triggered widespread violence, such as the New York City draft riots. And at the heart of all this turmoil stood Northern antiwar Democrats, nicknamed "Copperheads.""

"Now, Jennifer L. Weber offers the first full-length portrait of this powerful faction to appear in almost half a century. Weber reveals how the Copperheads came perilously close to defeating Lincoln and ending the war in the South's favor. Indeed, by the summer of 1864, they had grown so strong that Lincoln himself thought his defeat was "exceedingly likely." Passionate defenders of civil liberties and states' rights - and often virulent racists - the Copperheads deplored Lincoln's suspension of habeas corpus, his liberal interpretation of the Constitution, and, most vehemently, his moves toward emancipation.

Weber reveals how the battle over these issues grew so heated, particularly in the Midwest, that Northerners feared their neighbors would destroy their livestock, burn their homes, even kill them. Indeed, some Copperheads went so far as to conspire with Confederate forces and plan armed insurrections, including an attempt to launch an uprising during the Democratic convention in Chicago. Finally, Weber illuminates the role of Union soldiers, who, furious at Copperhead attacks on the war effort, moved firmly behind Lincoln. The soldiers' support for the embattled president kept him alive politically in his darkest times, and their victories on the battlefield secured his reelection."

"Disgraced after the war, the Copperheads melted into the shadows of history. Here, Jennifer L. Weber illuminates their story."--Jacket.

In the shadows --
The gathering storm --
When will this cruel war be over? --
The battle behind the lines --
The summer of Lincoln's discontent --
The rise and fall of the Copperheads --
"Faction in Civil War is unmitigated treason" --
Defeated.

概要：

Abraham Lincoln fought the Civil War on two fronts - a military effort against the Confederate Army & a political struggle against those within the North who opposed the war. These Copperheads ranged from outspoken politicians & journalists to groups that secretly conspired with Confederate forces to undermine the war effort.続きを読む

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"An excellent starting point for specialists and nonspecialists alike who want to understand the very real challenges to the Lincoln administration."--Sean Nalty, Virginia Quarterly Review"Readers will find this an engaging and enjoyable book that covers the central issues and characters."--Peter Knupfer, Journal of Illinois History"A fine narrative history."--Phillip Shaw Paludan, Journal of Military History"Perhaps the greatest contribution that this book will make is to encourage historians to reevaluate their comfortable notion that dissenters were marginal and that the 'peace wing' of the Democratic Party not a real threat. Weber has rendered magnificent service to Civil War historians by reminding us of that fact."-Adam I.P. Smith American Historical Review続きを読む